Daniel Ricciardo has revealed that his life away from Formula 1 has also meant losing regular contact with many of his former colleagues, including Lando Norris. The Australian, now focused on life outside racing and his growing wine business, remains connected with some people from his F1 career. However, he admitted that conversations with former drivers are far less frequent than they once were.
Speaking on the Box Box With Bella podcast, Ricciardo explained that he still exchanges messages with Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, although his contact with the McLaren driver has gradually faded.
“I mostly text with Verstappen and Norris, but Lando probably gets bored after a while and doesn’t respond anymore,” Ricciardo said.
The admission provides a glimpse into Ricciardo’s life after a Formula 1 career that ended in 2024, when RB decided to replace him with Liam Lawson following the Singapore Grand Prix.
Ricciardo’s F1 career ended after a difficult final chapter
A lifelong Red Bull driver in the junior formulas, Ricciardo made his F1 debut with a Red Bull sponsored drive with the HRT team in 2011 before progressing through the Red Bull junior programme and securing a Toro Rosso race seat.
His breakthrough came with Red Bull Racing, where he established himself as one of the sport’s leading overtakers and won seven Grands Prix between 2014 and 2018. Known for his quips, pranks in front of the cameras, and “shoey,” the art of drinking champagne and forcing others around him to do likewise from a shoe while on the podium.
His time alongside Verstappen eventually became increasingly complicated, however, and Ricciardo ultimately left Red Bull at the end of 2018.
He subsequently raced for Renault before joining McLaren in 2021. His time at Woking produced one of the most memorable moments of his later career when he won the 2021 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
Despite that victory, Ricciardo struggled for consistency and was released by McLaren after the 2022 season.
Norris and Ricciardo formed one of F1’s most entertaining pairings
Ricciardo’s arrival at McLaren coincided with Norris’ emergence as one of the sport’s most prominent young drivers.
The pair developed a popular relationship away from the track, regularly joking with each other and becoming central figures in McLaren’s social-media output.
Their relationship was not without competitive tension, though. Norris was increasingly able to challenge Ricciardo on pace, contributing to the Australian’s difficult two-year spell with the team.
Ricciardo’s return to the Red Bull family in 2023 appeared to offer him another opportunity to rebuild his career. He replaced Nyck de Vries at AlphaTauri (formerly Toro Rosso) midway through the season before remaining with the rebranded RB (Racing Bulls) team into 2024.
Ultimately, his results were not enough to secure a long-term return to the Red Bull seat, and his F1 career came to an end.
Ricciardo has turned his attention to wine and life away from racing
Since leaving Formula 1, Ricciardo has increasingly focused on projects outside motorsport, most notably his DR3 wine brand created with Australian producer St Hugo Wines.
The range includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Ric Red and Enchanté Rosé, giving the former F1 driver a business venture far removed from the demands of a Grand Prix weekend.
Ricciardo has also spoken about the possibility of returning to racing at some point, but for now there is little indication that a competitive comeback is imminent.
His comments about Norris and Verstappen nevertheless show that the relationships built during his F1 career have not disappeared entirely.
Instead, Ricciardo’s life has simply moved into a different phase — one where messages between former teammates and rivals are occasional rather than part of everyday life in the paddock.
Ricciardo spent more than a decade at the centre of Formula 1 and became one of the championship’s most recognisable personalities.
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Clara Marlowe is a Formula 1 writer at TJ13 with over 15 years of experience in motorsport journalism, having contributed features to established sports magazines such as Evo, MCN, Wisden Cricket Monthly and other digital outlets.
Clara specialises in human-interest storytelling, focusing on the individuals behind the sport, including drivers, engineers, and team personnel whose roles are often overlooked in mainstream coverage.
At TJ13, Clara contributes long-form features and narrative-driven pieces that explore the personal and professional journeys within Formula 1. This includes coverage of career-defining moments, internal team dynamics, and the human impact of high-pressure competition.
Clara’s work brings depth and perspective to the sport, complementing news and analysis with stories that highlight the people behind the machinery.
Clara has a particular interest in how personal narratives intersect with performance, and how individual experiences shape outcomes across a Formula 1 season.
